Yankees, Guardians on midge alert as ALDS heads to Cleveland

The New York Yankees and the Cleveland Guardians are battling for the right to play in the ALCS, but another opponent is lurking. 

Midges, also known as chironomids, according to Britannica, invaded Cleveland during the 2007 ALDS and are back again as the 2022 series returns to Ohio. 

In 2007, midges swarmed Yankees reliever Joba Chamberlain in the eighth inning of Game 2, clearly bothering the right-hander as he threw two wild pitches, and the Cleveland Indians won in 11 innings. 

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The insects could pose a problem again after a weekend in which the midges invaded FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland during an NFL matchup between the Cleveland Browns and Los Angeles Chargers Sunday. 

The ALDS matchup heads to Cleveland Saturday for Game 3 with Game 4 scheduled for Sunday at Progressive Field. 

“I was at the Browns game on Sunday after the wild-card series, and they were out in full force. And it was the middle of the day. So I can only imagine when we get back,” Cleveland Guardians Game 3 starter Triston McKenzie said Friday. “When you try to swat them away, they don’t care, and they will land on you anyway. I don’t even know how to explain it. That’s the best way to explain it. They will land on you.

“You can kill them, and they will just stay there.”

New York won the first game of the series behind 6⅓ innings of work from starter Gerrit Cole, who allowed one earned run and struck out eight. 

Cleveland is looking to tie the series at a game apiece on Friday after Game 2 was postponed Thursday due to weather. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report